Childbirth is a special interaction of physiology and psychology which may have important consequences in infant development. The objective of this research is to gain understanding of psychological aspects of the childbirth experience and their impact on the well-being of the child, the new parents, and the family unit. The current goals of this research are to develop instruments which allow for objective and comprehensive measurement of childbirth events. A method has been developed for recording the physical state of the woman in labor and medical and social interactions with her. A measure of delivery room events is now being developed. Prenatal and postpartum interviews with parents provide data on their expectations and recollections of the birth process which can be compared with the researcher's observations. Parent's perceptions of the newborn are compared with the researcher's more objective assessment of infant behaviors.